The Grand Dowager could listen no more and angrily shouted, "Shut up!" Then she turned back to Xiqiu and commanded, "Send soone to fetch Nurse Zhang!"
Xiqiu complied.
The First Madam supported the Grand Dowager to sit on a chair beside them, while the Second Madam huddled her shoulders and stared at them. Soon, Ruan Jingliu hurried over, and Xiqiu explained, "The pupils are unresponsive, her expression is dull, and her speech is incoherent!"
Ruan Jingliu nodded, greeted the Grand Dowager and the First Madam, then approached the Second Madam. She stared into the Second Madam’s eyes for a long ti, tried to check her pulse, and looked elsewhere, but the Second Madam waved her hand: "Go away, all of you move away from !"
Unable to approach, Ruan Jingliu simply withdrew her hand. Turning back, she t the urgent gaze of the Grand Dowager and replied, "Her body hasn’t recovered since the miscarriage, there is an ongoing fever, the lochia subsided but with congestion remaining internally." She paused and added, "As for whether it’s madness, it’s still undetermined."
This kind of condition cannot be identified by an abnormal behavior or a pulse check alone; it needs to be judged from long-term reactions.
The Grand Dowager understood and nodded, then looked over at the Second Madam.
The Second Madam seed to hear sothing terrible, her face filled with anguish and fear, "Miscarriage? No, impossible, I did not miscarry, no!" After speaking, she searched for her child, staring for a long ti at a flowery ladle placed on the treasure cabinet in the corner. She quickly ran over, clutching the ladle to her chest, "My child, my child, mother is here, don’t be afraid, mother is with you. Oh yes, your father too, we will always be together and never separated!"
The Grand Dowager frowned and pointed to Nanny Liu waiting at the doorway, "Go take that thing from her hands!"
Nanny Liu stepped forward to grab the child from the Second Madam’s arms, but the Second Madam hurriedly hugged the ladle tightly, kicking at Nanny Liu, "Go away, get away, don’t take my child!" Then she freed a hand to push Nanny Liu, "None of you can touch my child, she is mine, mine and the Marquis’s child, hehe... you are all jealous of , definitely jealous, you are all lowly, unworthy of the Marquis, unworthy of having his child, all should die, all should die!"
Xiqiu listened, furrowing her brow, and unexpectedly thought of Madam Shen’s child!
She looked at the Grand Dowager, who indeed was also frowning and scrutinizing the Second Madam. The First Madam suddenly asked, "If you’re worthy, then what about Madam Shen?"
The Second Madam was startled, looked at the First Madam warily, and shrank back, shrieking, "She is just a concubine, if I want her dead, she will die. Without my permission, she beca pregnant, absolutely not allowed, how can she, with her low status, have the Marquis’s child, should die, all should die!" After speaking, she chuckled, placing her index finger on her lips, "This has nothing to do with , nothing to do with , it was soone else, nothing to do with !"
The Grand Dowager’s expression changed, she glanced at Xiqiu, and heard the First Madam ask, "Was it Madam Teng?"
The Second Madam’s eyes widened, a fierce light glinting, then laughed, "Yes, she did it, that wretched woman did it!" The First Madam calmly asked, "Then where is Madam Teng, where did she go?"
"Where did she go?" The Second Madam tilted her head to think, "Where did she go?" She lowered her gaze as if genuinely pondering, and after a mont suddenly lifted her head, "Dead, yes, she’s dead! Where is Nanny Li, why hasn’t she returned, hasn’t finished the job, useless servant couldn’t even complete a task!"
The Grand Dowager’s hand holding the table trembled violently, stunned, could it be that Teng Qiuniang was also... also Chengning’s doing?
She looked incredulously at the Second Madam. Was it really her doing then and the note, was it also Chengning’s trick to fra Xiqiu?
She held her forehead, unable to speak.
Not only was the Grand Dowager stunned, but Xiqiu was too, she looked at the First Madam, trying to read her expression, wanting to know if she was rely probing the Second Madam or if she had known about Teng Qiuniang all along and was now making her speak for the Grand Dowager to hear?
But the First Madam’s expression remained unchanged, except for a hint of surprise, no emotional fluctuation, Xiqiu couldn’t discern her feelings, and furrowed her brow tightly.
If she intentionally did this, what was her motive? Why was she doing this, perhaps she disapproved of the Second Madam’s behavior and did it deliberately? But why didn’t she say it earlier, why only ask now?
Xiqiu couldn’t be sure, but her curiosity and doubts towards the First Madam increased!
The Second Madam’s emotions beca highly unstable, after speaking she began waving her arms, clutching the ladle tightly and addressing everyone, "All of you leave, you are unworthy to be here, all leave!" Then she ordered aimlessly to the outside, "Soone, go fetch the Marquis back, tell him the child is crying, have him hurry back." After speaking, she looked at them with great satisfaction, "Every ti the child cries severely, as long as the Marquis is there, he stops crying."
The Grand Dowager couldn’t take it anymore, she rose abruptly and walked towards the door, while instructing Nanny Liu, "Sell all the people here, find Zijuan and beat her to death, from today on seal the doors and windows, the Second Madam is mad, anyone approaching is to be dealt with according to house rules!"
aning, regardless of her insanity, from now on she is considered mad!
With these words, cries erupted throughout the courtyard.
The Grand Dowager swept out, not looking back, and left the door.
Xiqiu, the First Madam, and Ruan Jingliu followed the Grand Dowager out of the courtyard. The Grand Dowager walked swiftly, faster than usual, yet her steps were heavy as if each step bore enormous weight, everyone followed behind her, silence enveloping the darkened surroundings.
Outside the courtyard gate, Lianqiao and Madam Shen were waiting, both with reddened eyes. Upon seeing the Grand Dowager, they knelt at the door, saying, "Grand Dowager, how is the Marquis, let this servant see him, let attend to the Marquis!"
The Grand Dowager paused, gazing inscrutably at the two, examining them one by one before her gaze fell on Madam Shen. After a mont’s contemplation, she said rcilessly, "What kind of comportnt is crying and fussing, return at once!"
Without caring how they cried, she entered the courtyard.
"Mother!" The First Madam caught up to support the Grand Dowager, "Please take care of yourself."
The Grand Dowager stood at the door, nodded to the First Madam, addressing her and Ruan Jingliu, "You’ve been busy all night, now that the second one is settled, you both should rest!"
The First Madam’s eyes shifted slightly, Ruan Jingliu imdiately concurred. The First Madam pondered and replied, "Then this daughter-in-law will return, mother should also rest early!"
The Grand Dowager watched the First Madam and Ruan Jingliu leave, then turned to Xiqiu, her tone slightly softer, "You’ve been through a fright today and have been busy all day, Min is sleeping now, let him stay here for the night and return tomorrow, you should go rest, don’t overthink what’s happening with the second one, it’s not your fault!"
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